[WATCH]- Sri Lankan Batter Celebrates Maiden T20I Hundred In NZ vs SL 3rd T20I

Sri Lanka‘s Kusal Perera raised his arms in celebration after smashing his maiden T20I century in the final match of the three-game series against New Zealand on Thursday, January 2, at Saxton Oval in Nelson. Batting at No. 3, Perera began cautiously, scoring 36 off his first 20 balls.

He reached his fifty in 27 deliveries before accelerating, smashing two back-to-back sixes off Matt Henry in the 18th over to bring up his century in just 44 balls. He finished with 101 off 46 balls, including 13 fours and four sixes. You can watch the video here:

https://x.com/im_darsha/status/1874650819871838373?s=46

At 34, Kusal Perera etched his name in history as the third Sri Lankan batter to register a T20I century, joining the elite list of Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

In addition to this milestone, Perera achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first Sri Lankan to cross the 2,000-run mark in T20Is. Over 77 matches, he has accumulated 2,056 runs, including 15 half-centuries and a maiden century.

Kusal Perera’s century secures Sri Lanka’s victory in the series finale

Sri Lanka, batting first, lost openers Pathum Nissanka (14) and Kusal Mendis (22) early. At No. 3, Kusal Perera anchored the innings, supported by Avishka Fernando’s 17 off 12 balls. Perera and skipper Charith Asalanka shared a vital 100-run stand off 45 balls for the fourth wicket.

Asalanka scored 46 off 24, while Perera registered his maiden T20I century, finishing with 101 off 46. Sri Lanka posted 218/5 in 20 overs. In reply, New Zealand’s openers Tim Robinson (37) and Rachin Ravindra added 81 off 45 for the first wicket, with Ravindra shining with 69 off 39 balls.

New Zealand’s middle-order struggled to capitalize on the strong start, as Mark Chapman (9), Glenn Phillips (6), Mitchell Hay (8), and Michael Bracewell (1) were dismissed for low scores.

Daryl Mitchell provided some resistance with a quickfire 35 off 17 balls, but his efforts weren’t enough to take the Black Caps over the line. They fell short by seven runs in a thrilling finish. Despite the loss in the final game, New Zealand secured the series victory with a 2-1 margin.

Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.